Danang Digital
by M Foley
1. Local Marketing
2. Analytics
3. Off-Page
3.1. On-Page
3.2. Penalty Assesment
4. PPC
5. The Rise Of Digital Media
5.1. The world has undergone tremendous technological changes. We are all feeling these changes in every facet of our existence. One such change that has revolutionized the way we conduct business is in digital marketing. Indeed, as 2018 inevitably moves on, all indicators are that digital marketing is the next major thing in the field of marketing. Unleashing this power will definitely give any business concern a clear edge over its rivals. This is true for all businesses, regardless of the sector. With the rise in digital marketing, companies have had to re-think their fund allocation for marketing. For example, close to 40% of firms in Ireland will have remarkably increased their spending on the marketing front by the end of the year. This is according to a survey targeting key decision makers in the marketing industry. The Marketing Institute of Ireland (MMI) and MediaCom Ireland jointly carried out this research. In spite of this, the survey notes, the projected increase in marketing cost in Ireland still lags behind other markets like the UK and the USA. Ireland firms will spend an average of only 8% of their total revenues. This is in contrast to the average of about 11% that companies in other main markets project to spend. This trend is not confined to Europe and Northern America. Massive strides in the use of the social media have been realized in the developing countries of Africa, South America and Asia. Conservative figures put the use of internet in the countries in these regions at over 70% of their respective populations. This can only mean one thing. The effect of the internet on all types of businesses will reach unexpected heights as the year wears on. The media, as the chief source of information, should be at the forefront. No matter how good a product you are dealing in, it may not go far if you do not get ways of tapping into the consumers’ full potential. Marketing managers who refuse to move away from the traditional methods of marketing are bound to suffer. Their businesses will stagnate, or altogether be phased out, sooner than later. Do customers still rely on fliers and leaflets sent to them? Of course, they do not! Do consumers keenly follow the adverts that appear on the TV or come on the radio? No, not effectively. Progressive media houses in Ireland have become very much cognizant of this reality. In fact, according to the survey quoted earlier, the five leading media houses in Ireland are digital. They are the very same ones that have expressed the desire to increase their investment in marketing this year. Of these firms, 50% indicated that most of their investment will target audience in social media, 28% would invest in content marketing, 25% were considering investing in search, 24% in automated advertising and a 24% in digital video. The media houses that have not embraced digital marketing performed dismally in the survey. This clearly shows that traditional marketing strategies no longer hold any sway in business growth. The more progressive marketing managers reckon that to fully harness the power marketing, they have to invest more in digital platforms. They plan to spruce their websites in response to the needs of the consumer. The survey notes that the marketers plan to spend over 30% in advertising and over 25% in PR and communications. These decision makers are fully convinced these are the ideal ways of promoting their products and services in this era. The respondents in the survey were drawn from a pool of about 250 people - from the MII databank and business people from various sectors of the economy. According to one of the pollsters, Ireland was still experiencing low levels of finance in marketing activities. Most of the companies were simply not willing to commit more funds for this, as they were still unconvinced that the returns are worthwhile. An industry insider is of the opinion that this challenge is surmountable. He proposes that leaders with the requisite skills should be given the mantle in the marketing industry. Such leaders, he added, are in a better position to help the company CEOs and Boards of Directors see the need to allocate more funds to the marketing front. These sentiments were echoed by yet another expert, who singled out media trust and brand safety as the twin problems that continue to bedevil the push for effective marketing. Advertisers will have to make content that is formatted in a consumer-responsive manner. As such, digital marketing has to be fully embraced. Businesses have to rise up to the occasion by changing their marketing strategies.
